Working Distractions
by thequeenofbooks1000
Summary: Katie claims that nothing can distract her from her favorite hobby, gardening. Can Travis prove otherwise? Just plain Tratie stuff, created out of pure boredom. Review!


**Hey, guys! What's up?**

**So, yeah, this story is made out of boredom. I was planning to make a new Hunger Games story, but inspiration isn't here today. Oh, well. *sigh***

**So, in the meantime, please enjoy this brief story. It could be a one-shot, or it could be a story, you know, depending on the reviews.**

**DISCLAIMER: I LOVE PJO, BUT I AIN'T THE OWNER. ;)**

* * *

Katie Gardiner hummed to herself as she planted the daffodils in the Demeter garden. She let out a happy sigh when a small plant emerged from the soil and started to water it down a bit. It grew even more, mostly because of her green thumb and the fact that she was a daughter of Demeter.

Her siblings chatted and laughed together, but she hardly noticed.

As far as Katie was concerned, nothing—and absolutely nothing—can take her attention from her favorite hobby.

* * *

Behind the huge oak tree, Travis Stoll was looking at Katie intently, with a gaze so intense his brother Connor was worried that his eyeballs might pop out.

"Bro?" Connor called. He tapped Travis's shoulder.

Either Travis didn't hear him or he was ignoring him.

Connor stomped his foot in frustration. He wasn't used to being ignored, especially by his own brother. "Travis!"

Travis still stared straight ahead, with a goofy smile on his face. Katie was really gorgeous, with those big brown eyes, long brown hair, and that perfect tan, from staying out in the sun to plant her—

"TRAVIS ALEXIS STOLL!" Connor yelled.

Travis's eyes popped open and he tackled his brother, trying to hide the embarrassing statement. "Why did you scream my middle name to the whole world?" he hissed.

Connor shook his head. "Face it man, you're all messed up because of that bossy Demeter girl," he said.

"I am not messed up," Travis protested.

Connor rolled his eyes. "Could've fooled me. You were looking at her like this—" And Connor made a dumbstruck, goofy face with an embarrassing grin.

Travis glared at him. "Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was TOO!"

"Connor Stoll, I think you mean, "Were too," a bored voice from behind them said. The two of them whirled around to see Katie, who, in Travis's opinion, looked really hot in her baggy patchwork overalls. _Oh, man! _Travis whacked his head a few times. This was definitely getting out of hand. Who in the right mind would think overalls looked hot?

Katie shook her head. "Anyway, you're disturbing me," she said. She scowled down at them. "Which is saying a lot, since there is absolutely, positively nothing in the world that can take me away from my work." With a huff, she walked away.

"Can you believe her?" Connor whispered, rolling his eyes. Then he started to do a really bad imitation of Katie's voice, which sounded more like three squirrels trapped in a washing machine: "_There is absolutely, positively nothing in this world that can take me away from my work." _He shook his head. "I mean, get a load of that!"

Travis didn't answer. He was staring hard at Katie's retreating figure, and thinking hard about what she—and his brother the squirrel boy—said.

_Nothing can take her away from her work, eh? _He thought, a demonic smile forming at his lips. _We'll see about that, Gardiner. We'll see._

* * *

"No way, Travis," Connor declared.

It was nine-thirty in the night, and the two of them were sitting on the bunk beds in the Hermes cabin, and Travis was asking Connor to help him with his stunt. Whatever it was, anyway.

"Come on, Con," Travis pleaded. "Please? Do it for the big bro."

Connor shook his head. "You are the craziest man alive," he said. "I'm going to bed."

Travis was feeling desperate by the minute, but then he grinned. "Fine," he said.

Connor squinted up at his brother. "What?"

"I said fine," Travis said with a nonchalant shrug. "Just fine."

Connor was feeling suspicious. He knew his brother inside-out, and when he got all screwed up like this…His eyes narrowed. Blackmail.

"Oh, come on," Connor said. "You know nothing embarrassing about me."

Travis innocently raised an eyebrow. "I don't? Well, watch this."

He clapped his hands loudly, making a bunch of Hermes kids sit up. "Hey everyone, Connor's middle name is—"

"No!" Connor shrieked. He gave his brother his best 'stink-eye.' "I hate you, bro."

Everybody flopped back to sleep, and Travis grinned at his brother. "So you're in, huh?"

* * *

Katie was sleeping peacefully when she heard a huge bump. She has always been a light sleeper, so she sat up immediately and checked the clock on the cabin wall. It was eight-fifteen in the morning. Now, that was weird. Campers were supposed to get up at ten-thirty. **(A/N I have no idea what time they're supposed to get up, and I can't really find my PJO books.)**

Shrugging it off, she stood up and tied her hair in a ponytail. She pulled on a tank top and old denim cut-offs and walked outside. She took in the cool air and smiled.

Maybe she could get a headstart with her gardening.

* * *

"One of these days, I really am going to pull your hair out," Connor grumbled.

Travis self-consciously put his hands to his hair. "Come on, bro, this might actually be fun," he said, trying not to sound too ecstatic.

Travis looked really nice that morning, wearing plain jeans and his favorite shirt. His curly brown hair was combed for the first time ever.

Connor, on the other hand, looked anything _but_ nice. He was wearing a black shirt and tights, and his face was streaked with dust and soot. None of that sounded that bad, except that he was wearing—

A bear costume.

And not even the ferocious, killer-bear type of outfit. It had matted fake fur, sewed-on crossed eyes, and a terrible smell that can knock you off your feet. The only time they used that was in a Halloween party to scare off the annoying kids in the bathroom.

The two Stoll brothers had spent all night planning it out and barely getting any sleep at all, which you'd think would make them all grouchy.

Well, you're one-half right.

They had better ideas, most of which Connor vetoed, like stuff that involved Spider-Man boxer shorts and a bunny suit.

Maybe their idea was bad, but hey, Hermes kids weren't really known for brilliant strategies.

Connor seriously wanted to steal Clarisse's spear and stick it in his brother throat. Travis felt like jumping for joy and sinking back in nervousness at the same time.

His plan had to work. It just _had_ to!

"On my mark," Travis instructed. He handed Connor a huge rock. "Throw it at the door."

Connor didn't waste any time. He chucked the rock to the door and rushed to the bushes.

"You idiot," Travis hissed, quickly running after him. And just in time, too, because Katie came out the minute he reached the bushes.

Katie took a watering can and began to sprinkle it at her plants.

"Go!" Travis urged, pushing Connor out.

Connor made his expert growly sounds. Katie took one look at him and recoiled, not because she was scared, but because she was thinking, _who on earth would be wearing a monkey suit so early in the morning?_

"Grr…grr…" Connor growled like a lunatic.

Katie stared at him for a moment, looking bewildered.

* * *

Behind the bushes, Travis was giving himself multiple face-palms. Why wasn't Katie scared? He expected her to run for her life, and then he would be there to save the day.

Connor let out one last growl and hopped back to the bushes. "It's not working, man," he murmured.

"Get out of here," Travis snapped.

"Hey—who _is_ that in there?" Katie called out. She spotted Connor at the bushes and frowned, then pulled off the bear head.

When she did, Connor also pulled Travis's head into view, so she was looking two Stoll brothers in the eyes.

"Travis? Connor?" she said in confusion. "What the—"

Connor tossed the bear head away and solemnly lowered his head. "My work here is done," he said, and scampered away, leaving Katie and Travis in the bushes.

Travis and Katie were just staring at each other for a moment. Suddenly Katie laughed. Pretty soon, Travis joined in.

"Travis—what was your brother doing in a monkey suit?" she giggled.

"That was a bear suit!" Travis protested, making them burst into peals of hysterical laughter again.

"You are crazy," Katie said, shaking her head. She tossed him a smile. "I guess that prank wasn't as dumb the other ones," she said. "I mean, it was actually funny, and not mean and stupid."

She glanced at her watch. "Oh, and I gotta go water my pansies."

She was about to go, but Travis pulled her hand. "Katie, wait."

Katie glanced at him, and for the first time gave him a long once-over. She was aware of his curly brown hair that looked perfectly tousled, his beautiful blue eyes, his tall figure... "Wow…you look really nice today, Stoll," she said, as if in a trance.

"So do you, Katie," Travis said, trying to muster his trademark smirk, but couldn't, for some reason.

His big blue eyes were staring straight at Katie's brown eyes. _Oh, my gods, why do his eyes look so beautiful? s_he thought. _And how come I never noticed them before?_

"I like you," Travis said timidly.

A huge smile practically broke Katie's face into half. "Same here, Clown-face," she said, trying to stop her smile from getting bigger.

Travis grinned. "No joke?"

"You ought to know," Katie said with a wink, while leaning closer. "You're the master of jokes." She kissed him, and then he kissed back.

Just when they thought that the kiss would last for a really long time, a bear suddenly tackled them.

"Connor!" Travis and Katie exclaimed in unison.

Connor grinned and pulled out the bear head. "Wow, just started dating and you already have the same thoughts?" He shook his head. "Man, that's creepy."

"Katie, Connor's middle name is—" Travis began.

Connor was gone before they could even blink.

"So you're my girlfriend now?" Travis clarified.

Katie rolled her eyes and punched him playfully. "What do you think?" And the two of them walked arm-in-arm to the dining pavilion for breakfast.

* * *

**Eh, maybe it wasn't so good, but I still hoped you enjoyed it. After all, I'm not really much of a romance writer. Please REVIEW. :D**


End file.
